The HUD Secretary's Opportunity & Empowerment Award honors excellence in community planning that has led to measurable benefits in terms of increased economic development, employment, education, or housing choice and mobility for low- and moderate-income residents. The award stresses tangible results and recognizes the planning discipline as an important community resource. It emphasizes how creative housing, economic development, and private investments are used in, or in tandem with, a comprehensive community development plan.

For the past 16 years, the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. has developed creative ways to repair existing housing and to build new, affordable housing to help Akron residents reach a new level of financial independence and pride. With more than 200 tax credit homes spread throughout the city, better affordable housing choices are available; in fact waiting lists to get into the units are lengthy. The corporation's efforts, slow and steady over time, weave together all the right components for measurable benefits to the families, the community and the developers.